The rain yesterday melted some snow and water was running in ditches and eventually flowed into creeks and rivers, but the below freezing temperature today is putting an ice layer back on the water.
Winter Water Flowing
Picture of the Day for February 14, 2023
The day was filled with red colors for Valentine’s Day as even Mother Nature provided a reddish sunrise. There is a saying “Red sky in morning, sailors take warning”, which can come true in the middle latitudes and when the storms generally move west to east. With sunlight reflecting off particles in the air, the red sky can indicate a high water content in the atmosphere so that rain cold be on its way. And it came true today as it started to rain a few hours after sunrise, which isn’t common in February, but maybe a good thing it was rain today otherwise it may have been a foot of snow instead.
Valentine’s Red Sky
Picture of the Day for February 13, 2023
I spent some time this afternoon scooping water away from the office door which was trapped by the snow banks and couldn’t drain away. But if I didn’t throw it far enough, the water would drain right back into my mini lake and it felt like a losing battle at times, like trying to empty the water out of the opening in the ice at Siskiwit Falls.
Siskiwit Falls in Wintertime
Picture of the Day for February 12, 2023
There was water pooling in areas from some snow melting today but with build up snow, the water couldn’t drain away from my driveway cement and will create a frozen patch of ice by morning. Water was running across the sheet of ice by the Lake Superior ice caves where water was seeping from the rock layers that created the icy waterfalls. Ice grippers on your shoes were helpful in crossing the smooth slick ice after the water refroze.
Pooling Icy Water
Picture of the Day for February 11, 2023
The temperature might have been 25 while I was feeding the steers, but the cold wind made my eyes watered. But Dolly didn’t see to notice the cold breeze as she is a Scottish Highland, which is a very hardy breed that is almost as cold tolerant as other artic animals like caribou and reindeer with its shaggy long hair on the outside and a downy undercoat.
Scottish Highland Cow
Picture of the Day for February 10, 2023
The winter day stayed below freezing today, but it still was 40 degrees warmer than nine years ago when I ventured out on to Lake Superior ice to visit the ice caves on a rather cold day.
Superior Ice Caves
Picture of the Day for February 9, 2023
There was no bright colors from a flower on this gray winter day but at least there was no new snow like some other parts of the state received.
Summertime Lily
Picture of the Day for February 8, 2023
There was some melting today as it made it to 44 degrees this afternoon so it would have been a great day to enjoy the outdoors except the wind made it feel like barely freezing. But out of the wind, maybe a little sunbathing could happen like this Great Blue Heron positioning its wings to catch the sun rays. And while the technique may help to warm the bird, the sunbathing is also used to get rid of parasites living on their skin and feathers since just ten minutes in the sun rays can heat the wings to 140 to 160 degrees which is hot enough to kill lice.
Sunbathing Heron
Picture of the Day for February 7, 2023
It may have been too cold for any of my rodents to stick their heads up on groundhog day around here, but with temperatures near freezing this morning, I found that a possum had left some tracks in the new white coating.
Possum Tracks
Picture of the Day for February 6, 2023
By the afternoon, white snow pellets were falling from the sky and by night, a light coating was covering my cement. I rather see white foam from a waterfall instead, especially when the mist causes a mini rainbow patch to appear also.
White Foam
